


Facing Fear

by raendown



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [122]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21527935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown
Summary: Hashirama has only one fear in this world: needles.
Relationships: Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Izuna
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [122]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533161
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	Facing Fear

“I really don’t wanna.” Hashirama ducked his chin to look up at Izuna through his lashes the way he knew made him look like a tiny sad puppy.

“Well isn’t that just too bad?” His partner continued to thumb through the pages of the magazine spread open across his lap, entirely unsympathetic. Just the same as he’d been since they left the house a half hour ago.

“Please don’t make me go in there. They’re going to stick me with needles!”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before gallivanting off to other countries without getting your vaccinations first.” Izuna shook his head and turned another page. “This could have been avoided if you had just taken care of yourself in the first place.”

Hashirama slumped down in the plastic waiting chair. “But…getting a vaccination means another needle. Izu, I don’t like needles!”

Finally his partner deigned to look away from the magazine, turning to him with a gentle expression.

“I know you don’t, love, but you need this to get better. You know that if there were another way to help then I would do that for you in a heartbeat but there just isn’t. I promised to take care of you and unfortunately this is how I have to do that right now.”

That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. Even less so was the sound of a nurse stepping in to the waiting room and calling his name. Hashirama almost felt a stab of betrayal when Izuna answered for him, shrinking down a little further as though if he just made himself small enough he could avoid the terror that awaited him just down the hall. Perhaps he would have felt a bit less silly being afraid of needles if he could have pinpointed where the fear came from but it was something that felt as though it had always been there, a dark shape in his imagination, a mind-numbing terror that he couldn’t shake.

“May I come in the room with him?” he heard Izuna asking the nurse. “He’s not very good with needles.”

“Of course. Right this way.”

“Thank you,” Hashirama whispered. Being scared like this made him feel like a child but having Izuna there with him would make this so much easier to face even if it was going to be embarrassing.

He was grateful to be able to reach down and take hold of his partner’s hand, gripping tight as they walked through the halls. If not for the other people wandering around freely he might have thought they really were leading him to his doom but he trusted Izuna too much for that particular thought to take a strong hold. Nerves were still dancing and fizzling all throughout his body by the time the lady pointed him in to a small room and directed him to sit up on the little table covered in disposable paper.

Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths and told himself to be calm, that he was an adult and he could face his fears like a man. Then he opened his eyes again at just the wrong time.

“Th-that’s an awfully big needle,” he whimpered. The nurse looked down at the small gauge in her hand and smiled.

“Not really. I actually chose a smaller one just for you. Do you think you can hold still for me now?”

“Izuna!” Hashirama gripped his partner’s hand tighter. “I don’t wanna!”

Even as he leaned away from the torture device steadily approaching Izuna shuffled over to keep him upright and pressed a hand over his eyes. “I’m right here, love. It’ll be over before you know it. Just breathe with me, alright, come on.”

Together they breathed in and out several times as Hashirama waited. And waited. Then waited some more. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I just want it over with please!” he sobbed.

“You’re already done,” the nurse’s voice said. “Just a tiny pinch; you didn’t even notice.”

Hashirama peeled the hand over his eyes away and looked down to find a teeny blue plaster on the top of his arm. She hadn’t lied. It was over already. A great wave of relief crashed over him and, just as he expected, it was followed quickly by the utter shame of having been so terrified of something that always turned out to be so simple. Every time his mind convinced him that he was about to die or something equally ridiculous only to come away from each experience with nothing but a plaster and a hollow feeling in his gut.

“Better?” Izuna asked him.

“I’m sorry,” Hashirama whispered. “I don’t mean to be a baby.” He dropped his face but Izuna’s hands caught him and pulled him right back up to kiss his forehead oh so tenderly.

“You don’t ever have to apologize for being afraid, that’s not something that you can help and there is no shame in it. I’m sorry that I had to be so callous to get you here but it’s over now. Are you ready to go home?”

He nodded and Izuna kissed him one more time on the forehead before turning to thank the nurse. Then they were heading out and Hashirama walked with a new spring in his step to know that this whole ordeal was already behind him. Today he had looked death in the face and survived. Well, nothing that dramatic, but he would definitely make it sound so when he told Madara the story later – as long as Izuna didn’t rat him out.


End file.
